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VILLAGE OF
TAOS SKI VALLEY
WILD
LAND FIRE
RESIDENTIAL
EVACUATION PLAN
Submitted by
the Public Safety Committee
June 2003
Dear Taos Ski Valley
Resident,
This document has been prepared for you because in the event of a major wild land fire, evacuation of your home may be necessary. Keep this document visible and near the telephone, especially if you rent out your residential home in the summer time. Your guests may need to use this information.
Make certain your guests have a convenient means of emptying live coals from the fireplace. Leave a note telling your guests NOT to empty the fire place, or a note with directions for cleaning the fireplace. There have been actual cases where homes have burned due to live ashes from a fire place. This is a real problem.
Should you spot a fire, no matter how small, call 911 immediately.
Sincerely,
All the Members of the Public Safety Committee
Village of Taos Ski Valley
In the event of a wild land fire, an "evacuation" will be ordered .
A siren (alarm system) will be activated in the Village base area; residents will be telephoned if possible.
(Let the Fire Department know that you are here in the Village and how long you will be here.)
Go to the parking lot near the TSV, Inc., Guard Shack. (This is the entrance to the street, Sutton Place, leading up to the base area.) This is known as the "reception area." The Evacuation Manager, Fire Department, EMS and Law Enforcement will be there to assist you.
Provide a written list of all the names of the people in your family or guests who are in the Village.
When all these people on the list are accounted for, you will be moved as a group out of the danger zone.
You will be moved to one of the following locations, whichever is deemed the safest.
a) Out of the Village, down Highway 150 if possible.
b) Tenderfoot Katie's Cafeteria building in the base area.
c) The open field on Strawberry Hill (behind the Medical Clinic).
c) The open field in front of the Phoenix Restaurant in the Kachina base area.
d) The large open meadow one mile up the road at the end of Bull of the Woods. This leads to the Town of Red River.
Planning
before an Evacuation
___ Make a Notification Plan
Discuss where family members/friends might be if an evacuation were ordered and agree on methods to stay in touch.
___ Pick a Meeting Place
Agree on a location where your family/friends can meet to be sure that everyone is accounted for.
___ Keep your Car Full of Fuel
Always "top off" your vehicle before coming to the Village. We have no gas station. It is often impossible to obtain fuel during an evacuation.
___ Transportation
If you do not have reliable personal transportation, notify the Evacuation Manager at the Guard Shack immediately. Transportation will be arranged for you.
___ Put Together an Emergency Supply Kit
1) Rugged clothing, footwear, work gloves and one change of clothing per person.
2) An extra set of car keys, cash, credit card(s), and checks.
3) Maps of the area, or a road atlas.
4) A liter of drinking water per person.
5) Non-perishable food.
6) A blanket or sleeping bag for each person.
7) A flashlight and extra batteries.
8) A first aid kit.
9) Prescription and over-the-counter medications, and vitamins.
10) Sanitation supplies.
11) A simple tool kit.
12) Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses.
13) A list of phone numbers and addresses.
14) Mess kits or paper plates, cups and plastic utensils for each family member.
15) Paper and pencil.
16) An easy to carry container that will hold all the above.
___ Gather Important Family Papers
1) Deeds, contracts, and insurance policies, Bank Account Numbers, CD’s.
2) Birth certificates, social security cards, marriage license, driver's license.
3) Credit card account numbers, Inventory of household belongings.
Be sure that irreplaceable documents are either secure from destruction or packed to be taken with you during an evacuation.
___ Keep Above Items where it is quickly
accessible and known to all Family Members.
___ Plan for Your Pets
All pets will be kept in personal evacuation vehicles.
Preparing Your Home
to be Defended
Here is a list of things that you can do to help firefighters defend your home if it should be necessary:
___ Turn off the Gas at the Meter.
___ Close All non-combustible blinds but open or remove combustible drapes and curtains.
___ Leave the Porch light on.
___ Leave a note on the front door letting firefighters know that you have evacuated the building.
___ Leave the doors unlocked so that firefighters do not have to force entry into your home to fight a
fire on the inside.
___ Leave garden hoses connected and available on the outside of your home.
___ If you own a ladder that will enable firefighters to climb to your roof, leave it in a visible location.